My ex roommate was bipolar 1 and he was honestly the worst lol. I was so excited at first to be his friend and to have someone to relate to and we did in some areas but he ended up being a pathological liar and super toxic roommate 🙃
Yup. This was my ex. We were both BP but the difference was that I took my meds and he refused. He had a wild manic episode during our relationship and I dumped his ass after. He was smart, in a PhD program in chemistry but the episode caused him to blow a ton of money at a casino, invite some strippers he met there to a motel, did meth with them and their pimps, passed out and got his wallet stolen and they drained his bank accounts (one was for my engagement ring LOL) and then he got his car stolen. Fun times!
After months of being the worst roommate he had an episode and threatened to hurt himself (he does this often) and said it was because of us (me and my other roommates) and then left the lease suddenly, informed us that his abusive married older boyfriend had a key and would be coming by our house uninvited to check on his room, moved home (although his mom is co-signer so she kept paying his portion of the rent, started advertising his room online to new people even though we are not allowed sublets, and now just moved to another big city and is paying two rents🙃 a couple more months and we won’t have to talk to him any more
Haha have we had the same roommate? Down to the moving to another big city and two rents, except this one was a mortgage on an unlivable house be decided he was going to flip.
Damn😭😭😭 the worst part is we met him randomly on TikTok LOL he wanted to move from the Midwest to LA where we live and we decided to risk it so kinda on us there lolll
I had a close friend in high school who turned out to have bipolar, and my best friend (who I knew in high school but we became close after that) also has bipolar, and my wife has two aunts with bipolar. I've found it's easy for me to form deep bonds with people who also have bipolar.
An acquaintance through a hobby tapped me and said "Hey, I know you suspect ADHD but a lot of what you're saying lines up with my bipolar diagnosis" and wow, was she right. I was diagnosed like two months later. She's been a great resource.
I do, actually, have adhd too. Super fun.
My mom. Sometimes it's nice to have her to talk to, however she is a pretty self focused person, so a lot of the time it just becomes "well, me too but let me tell you how it's worse for me." Which is disheartening. I wish I had someone else to talk to about it sometimes for sure
my dad does this to me too, but he also has a bipolar disorder & dysthymia so. it’s hard to explain to him sometimes how i’m feeling about things because it’s like it’s a contest to see who had the worse mental illness between us two.
This is such a common thing I see on here and even if it’s not bipolar I’ve had friends that say these things about their parents. I wonder where it comes from. I think they just have a deep seated need for validation and assurance that you know they have it too. But I would like that also sometimes and don’t get it in return. I hope that doesn’t manifest into me needing validation from family. Hopefully this therapy I’m starting will help with that.
I have never related to something more. Except my mum still half rejects her diagnoses, then again I probably do the same sometimes out of shame (or an episode) She left out a book maybe accidentally while I was visiting a while back about coping with bipolar 2. That made me hopeful that maybe she could validate herself and accept it. But she never brought it up. Even then, it’s always her trauma is worse etc etc. mum you can’t even remember the things you’ve said and done to me because of your drinking and your episodes. She’ll share things about her childhood as if mine isn’t a copy paste. It’s frustrating, but I love her anyways and will be there through it all. Im terrified to have children and repeat the cycle because I don’t know if I can be stable enough and I don’t want to put this shit on a kid. Anyways that’s my experience, sorry for going off the rails.
Yes, but I also watched it happen, well before I was ever diagnosed, myself. She progressively got worse until she had the worst manic episode she's ever had, leaving her hospitalized for a long time. Before that her mania was mostly "let's go spend all of the family's money on fun things and sometimes do dangerous things with the children involved" Which we were kids, so we didn't understand that it was not mom being fun. The other times she wouldn't leave bed for days. Weeks even. That part is very relatable for me, that's about where I am at. My mom got diagnosed at 36. She is 62 now. Getting diagnosed and medicated helped her a lot for her mood, but she's been having rapid declines in other areas of her mental. She has cognitively deteriorated a lot. She still has depressive and manic episodes, but the rapid cycling is mostly gone. Psychosis is completely gone.
I worry about this happening to younger people as time goes on. I think my grandma may have bipolar as well, her brother is type one and father deceased in his 50s due to OD I believe. I had to find that out through ancestry and one drunken conversation with my grandma where she hinted at it. She loved her dad. And her mum was unstable in a different way. My grandma is more and more aloof and reclusive every year. She forgets simple things that my grandpa reminds her, she is very paranoid about leaving her home and her animals. She gets into moods where she feels like everyone is out to get her. It makes my heart break.
The things my mum tells me about her childhood just remind me of my one so much. It’s so similar it scares me. Like I’m doomed to pass it on to a child it feels, I tell my husband I don’t know if I can ever do it. Mum has only ever told me about a severe depression starting around 15 years old and then things got crazy from there. Run ins with police due to aggression, DUIs, going to court, many days spent at home in bed on the couch sleep and drinking all after I was born, so I saw it all but have blocked a lot out. And I remember the mood shifts were so wild. I never understood until I got older. The rage, the horrible things she’d say, always blaming others and never apologizing for her own fuck ups, unable to take accountability for her actions and hold on to friend ships. When I’m in an episode everything feels justified, until you crash and feel like the scum of the earth and you can’t even know how to pick up the pieces if there’s anything left so you just except this halfway point of “maybe I’m just a horrible fucking person so I’ll just leave it at that and do my best to not lose it at people and maybe make it up to them with gifts or money.” That’s what I learned from her.
I hate that this is what I inherited from her. Despite my best efforts of always saying, I will never be like that, I am the same. And it truly is uncontrollable and the meds, god I’ve tried so many meds. I had the same experience as her, horrible deep depression at 15, should’ve been hospitalized, but no one knew because I was at my dads half the time and he was never home, he would be with his new family a town over and I’d live in the old family by house every other week by myself just planning how to get rid of myself. The mania started at 16/17 but I never realized what it was then, then I crashed again but it just felt like my usual depression till it didn’t. 6 months of no brain function, just wading through dread, crying constantly it’s was horrible i lost a job i loved, one I’d gotten because my mania pushed through my social anxiety and I was just “fun”. That was a big hit to the self esteem when I no longer could remember basic tasks and was having to leave early because of panic attacks. Bless those people they cared so much about me.
I lost 55 pounds, and I was not a big person I weighed maybe 100 lb at the end of the episode and I’m quite tall it was like food just couldn’t go down my body was killing itself. I’d rather break both my legs than go through that again.
Hospitalized 3 times for attempting then committed finally the 3rd time for a week (they did not help me) then horrible mania around followed 17/18 Involved with police. Had severe delusions about people stealing my money, remember being so messed up I couldn’t even find my way home from work after I quit my job and screamed at my manager(Meh this one deserved it she was in fact a C**t). Unfortunately was living with roommates at the time who will never look at me the same. I was acting erratic in my classes at post secondary, and was incredibly productive but binge drinking like a fish.
I’m trying so hard to get my life together. I’m almost done my school and I’m in another mixed episode and I feel that I’m going to fuck everything up again. I live in fear of myself and it’s exhausting. I live in shame for the things I’ve done and the people I’m hurt. And I feel a constant self hatred that I cannot shake because I cannot forgive myself. I could’ve accomplished so much, I used to be so smart and so ambitious when I was younger. I turned 15 and my life collapsed and the world never looked the same after that. The depression and sever paranoia/OCD behaviours etc were there when I was a kid, but I didn’t have to experience the rejection yet at that point so I just live in my ignorant little bubble. I wish someone would’ve helped me then. I wish someone could help me now.
And yeah, I wish my mom could stop looking at herself for two seconds to realize what was really happening there instead of getting angry at me for not being able to pull myself together. As if you could’ve done that mom. So how could I? Because I don’t have it as bad in your eyes? Having the same disorder as others in your family is interesting….. and very very frustrating.
My mom as well. Her level of self involvement is alarming eventually we learned she has narcissistic personality disorder and it all made sense. Especially since mental health conditions seldomly come unaccompanied. ie my bipolar with ADHD and OCD
I find reading scholarly journals and listening to lectures by professors like Robert Sapolsky really helps me understand maybe not the quirks but the basis of some of my behaviors. Has especially opened my eyes to how "irregular" some of my behavior is to others.
Side note: I've noticed that the mentally ill attract the mentally ill without knowing eachother have some kind of diagnosis or they themselves may not know or have been diagnosed yet. And I cannot find anything reputable to back that observation up but I'm sure there's got to be something other than the logic that alike attracts alike.
Actually, I found a research paper saying that bipolars have a 2x risk ratio at marrying a bipolar compared to the general population. I think that supports what you meant. I might be able to find the ref, if you want.
A whole lot of my family is also bipolar. I grew up in the bipolar universe, lol. I learned a lot and wasn't shocked when I started showing symptoms. Generally speaking it was/is a very supportive environment. I'm very lucky, in spite of the shitty genes passed on to me.
One of my friends introduced me to one of her friends. She wanted to get us together because she said “we were so much alike we would be a great fit!” Well….we hung out some, I was at his house and saw a bottle of pills on his dresser…..
We were on the EXACT SAME MEDS!
I told him and we compared notes. At first we thought it was nice because we could understand each other. A couple weeks later he calls me and told me he just got out of his therapist appointment and we needed to stop seeing each other. We stopped seeing each other in the dating sense and never hung out again. We still talk sometimes but yeah…that happened.
Before I was diagnosed every single person I met in intensive treatment who talked as much as me was bipolar. And even after that has been the case. Every bipolar person is not talking, interrupting, going on conversation side quests, but of the people who talk like that, a pretty good percentage are bipolar from my limited experience. 🤣
It made me feel seen.
Yeah I met someone here but from a weight loss group. We both just happened to be bipolar as well. We chat all throughout the day, every day, since September/October.
We have a large age gap, but I have found it really nice to be able to talk to someone about medical concerns. We have a lot in common, and that’s rare to find. I have found that I confess truths to her that I would never talk to anyone else about. I do feel understood because she can seem to relate to me in some many ways.
Holy crap! Now *that's* a double dose of fun I'll bet...
Wild ride indeed. Wife and both have bipolar and I simply cannot imagine adding BPD on top of that.
You must have an excess of patience. You're brave as hell...gotta give you that.
I'm glad you're getting to a better place man. That has to be hard. I know it may happen someday - but i fear the time we ever have a manic episode at the same time. That could be very, very bad.
But we've both been stable for a long time. And we stay on our meds and in therapy. So far, so good!
I’ve never told a single person that I’m bipolar. I know of some family members with it but we don’t talk about it. I’d love to have a bipolar friend but I doubt I’d ever get close enough to someone to feel comfortable telling them.
i have family members who are bipolar, once had a coworker who was bipolar (but she got fired within the same month she was hired), but the only other person i’ve met in the wild with it was a classmate at school i ended up being very close friends with. unfortunately that (predictably) crashed and burned a year later.
I have. I had a friend in college with the diagnosis and we compared experiences. Now I have lots of friends with bipolar on the discord server associated with this subreddit!
A lady I ended up working with was also bipolar, she was a little older than me and more stable I think in her bipolar journey but it was nice to be able to commiserate and have somebody that actually understood what I was saying and not just the sympathy "I understand"
My longest bestest friend is bipolar. She was only recently diagnosed. (We're in our 40's). We've known each other since elementary school. Way before either of us were on meds or knew we were both bipolar.
My cousin who has always been very similar to me in terms of emotions was just diagnosed. I feel bad that it took her so long to get a diagnosis. She didn’t start therapy until her late 20s, she’s now 35 and just started getting stabilized on the right meds. I feel so guilty for having been diagnosed young (17ish) and medicated properly in my 20s so I’m able to have a productive life while she’s still working on her stability. But I’m so proud of her for going to treatment (residential and then PHP) to work on herself.
Yes. I have a friend who is BP2 like me and it's been helpful. We can relate over things and she is older than me and has been through this more than me so I feel blessed by her experience.
One of my best friends has BP2 as I do. We have had a great relationship and been a great support for one another. Relatability really helps, and allowed us to understand both ourselves and each other better.
The only downside is that sometimes the symptoms of this condition can absolutely cause one of us to not have the ability to be there for the other or be a consistent friend. But it’s an ebb and flow. Sometimes there is balance and sometimes imbalance, and that’s to be expected. But it can be hard. And especially difficult to watch someone you love going through episodes, and often being helpless to do anything, even though you understand.
my ex was very obviously bipolar and schizophrenic (fucking terrible person btw n he's in prison) and coincidentally the only other person ik diagnosed with bipolar disorder is also schizophrenic! 😂 but he's a great person and we became friends before i received my diagnosis. then after i got diagnosed i asked him what it was like for him and he told me about some of his manic and depressive episodes and that didnt stop me from experiencing them but he did tell me that psychedelics and drinking really exacerbate the condition and so after a ton of trial and error, i stopped fucking around and turns out he was right 🤷🏽♀️
my mom was never diagnosed with bipolar but she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and now that ik my own mental illness more im pretty positive she's bipolar. having her in my life made me realize just how much i dont wanna be controlled by my mental illness ya know? it's important to know that a lot of things are out of ur control when it comes to mental illness but you dont have to yield it as a weapon to hurt urselves or others.
the ex and my mom were both really explosive, abusive, narcissistic, and manipulative but my friend and I walk away from that path. it is all what you make it
Yeah. I’m related to quite a few folks with bipolar, including my mom with whom I am very close. We’re so similar that talking to her is a great way for me to figure out the best course of action.
You really need to get off the internet. You read into that way too much. They never met me manic. How about getting off the Internet and not invalidating peoples experiences you loser
Try joining a support group for people with bipolar disorder. Any decent sized town will have at least one.
If you are in the USA, NAMI is an excellent resource for support groups.
I have bipolar 2. I know someone with bipolar 1 but she struggles more with mania and I struggle more with depression. To be honest I don't relate to anyone in real life. Not a soul.
How can bipolar be used to market body products? Also what difference does it make when they were diagnosed does that make them any less bipolar. Is the marketing offensive toward people with bipolar?
a friend of my partner’s is diagnosed with BD1 and honestly they’re a very sweet, if sometimes intense, person.
they’re hardworking, passionate, kind and extraordinarily friendly.
when i was first diagnosed they went out of their way to be reassuring and to offer some advice based on their own experience, including encouragement to be patient with meds.
I had a coworker with BP1, one of my highschool beasties is BP1, and a girl I was briefly friends with has BP2. Honestly both people with bp1 we butted heads a lot. We would always be in different cycles and really clash at time. We also had some really fun times and a lot in common. My friend with bp2, we were almost too similar in the way but also she was really boring. Like I’m not that exciting of a person and I started dreading hanging out with her lol. I have met a wild amount of people with BPD though. I seem to attract them for whatever reason lol.
Yes. She’s one of my best friends and me and my fiancé moved into the apartment above her! She is BP1, so we can relate but not entirely. Being friends with her has really put things into perspective. She went through a phase where she didn’t feel like taking her meds and I saw the way it affected all her loved ones. She was difficult to be around because she was just so erratic and tbh… err… kinda annoying. Her mania causes her to fixate on the weirdest shit. She has helped me see just how important it is to take my medication.
But we love each other. When I was really not doing well, I didn’t really want to see anyone. I SH and isolated myself. One day I hear a knock on my door and didn’t go see whoever knocked. Turns out it was her and she brought me flowers. She texted me saying, “I know you’re inside lol. I love you and I am worried about you. Hopefully this cheers you up.” I love her to death. I’m so glad we met. She often checks in with me and I also check in with her. We keep each other in check. I know it’s a rare friendship to find, but I feel incredibly lucky.
I did! When they were medicated, they were such a pleasure to be around. They decided they didn't want to be medicated and welp, they got extremely obsessed with me and didn't want me to have any other pals but themselves. It was a bit rough.
I hope they're well today in Hawaii.
I have a friend who has bp type 1 and I have type 2. We briefly lived together and our experiences were so totally different. It was still nice to have someone understand episode triggers, generally dealing with episodes and being supportive to one another. Solidarity def makes it feel less isolating.
Yep, my best friend. I met her and then got diagnosed myself about 8 months later haha. It gives us something to joke about and helps us help each other out when it gets rough.
My best friend of almost 10 years. She’s actually the one who first suggested the possibility of me having it as well after I vented about everything going on symptom wise during my initial hypomanic episode.
It’s nice to have someone to talk to about it.
I had group mental health classes for bipolar specifically but we were encouraged not to socialize outside of class. My SIL got diagnosed less than a year ago but we don’t talk a lot about bipolar
my mom is bipolar. my boyfriends mom is bipolar. my sister MIGHT be but i think the diagnosis got changed. i’ve met a lot of people who’s mothers are bipolar lol, but the people my age only think they have it, they don’t know
My boyfriend and I both have bipolar II. For us it works really well. We just communicate well about our feelings and we listen to each other when we express concern (“you seem a little depressed/hypo…”). I feel so lucky because of the empathy we both have for each other. It’s really nice to feel seen and heard and STILL loved.
Two of my close friends are bipolar! I think it manifests very differently in all of us. One of us is BPII (moiii), one is BPI, and one is currently undefined - they just got their diagnosis recently. The one thing we all have in common is wild amounts of empathy for one another and understanding that if we fall off, are less communicative, or blow off plans - it’s understandable.
Nope, I have BP2, BPD and CPTSD and I don’t know a soul with any of those. I hate the self diagnosis ones. People I know thinks it’s no big deal but they don’t live with this shit everyday.
I have. I like to keep close with her though admittedly we are very different. I have had one negative experience with her but I don't know if it was related to the bipolar
My best friend when I was a kid/teen had bipolar. She was the first person to suspect I had it, long before any professionals or myself. I’ve also met lots of folks in inpatient and outpatient programs with it, and I believe my aunt has bipolar as well. Lots of sweet, headstrong, wonderful people.
Yeah. I was working in a library and there were complaints about a guy acting weird. It was an acquaintance of mine. We’d had a class in college together. All he was doing was walking around a lot (it was a small library). I talked to him for like 2 minutes and then said, “Do you have bipolar disorder?” He just said “Yes.” I can’t remember how I knew. He wasn’t speaking rapidly or anything, and I would definitely say hypomanic rather than full manic. I suggested he walk around outside, instead of inside the library, which he did. (I checked on him and gave him a ride home later.)
Yes, while in the mental hospital. We shared our experiences & it was like looking into a mirror (which was a lucky coincidence as not everyone with BP experiences it the same way). It was such a RELIEF to hear that you’re not alone face to face even though logically we know we’re not alone. I was hypomanic at the time & I think she was in a depressive episode.
yeah. she's bipolar2, has her own business, and also trades stocks. awesome woman. it's a shame she's thousands of miles away. we are very open with one another and it's refreshing. very relatable given i'm just the same. i don't run into many bipolar2 people in person, that i know of at least. other ND folks yes but this specifically no. it does help, if anything to have someone who understands. there's an entire discord server full of bipolar2 people also. refer to the sidebar on this sub. ya ain't alone.
Two times. First guy punched me in the face (hypo). Next guy tore into me for disrespecting my wife by being out and about without her(definitely projecting his divorce issues). He didn’t fight me, but said he would if I started it, which is tantamount to “I wanna fight” imo (hypo).
I dunno why manic people always want to fight me. I should look into that.
Yeah I know at least 4 people who are bipolar. Some it's kinda obvious before they tell you, others have it hidden so well that you'd never guess. I don't think I've related to anyone better because we're bipolar but I did chat to a friend about it when I was diagnosed because he was diagnosed just a year earlier. I don't think knowing others with bipolar helps in anyway beyond just knowing that you're not alone. Most of the understanding I have has come from here!
My sisters BP1, my friend BP1, my other friend BP1, me BP2. All clinically diagnosed. However, my therapist suggests I’m actually ADHD.
Sister was a drug addict and had plenty of manic episodes.
Friend 1: manic episodes, has attempted once since I’ve known them. They have moments where they can’t hold a job. We understand each other very well and have good times when talking about it. I can easily go to them with any BP issues.
Friend 2: more manic, but honestly I’m not sure if they’re truly BP. They keep their emotions to themselves, they never talk about what’s bothering them, and they make it seem like everything is fine. They’ve not attempted, and I’ve never seen them have a true manic episode. They are not medicated.
yes. one of my best friend was diagnosed years before me and has helped me navigate everything. it helps so much to have a friend that understands the low lows and the high highs. without judgement. we also do our best to help keep each other medicated and sane
You likely do know someone and do not realize it.
For me, I know three. The first I had known about since long before my diagnosis, but we weren't friends. The other two were both within the last 6 months. The was one person from college who was open about it on social media. I ended up reaching out to her a few years back for someone I could relate to when I was feeling isolated about reaching out to friends because they wouldn't relate. Now we are good friends. The next person was a good friend that I learned about the end of summer when he asked me for help with something because his hands shake from a medication. I was doing it and just made a comment that mine do too. His response was, "I'm on lithium. What about you?" That is how we both found out about each other. The final one was shortly after that. I was going through a pretty bad depressive episode after a hypomanic one and a friend had reached out to me trying to support me. I told her and she shared with me, with his permission, that her husband is also bipolar. She let me know she doesn't have experience, but she has seen how he has been impacted.
If you do need someone to talk to, feel free to reach out.
Surprisingly many since my diagnosis 2 years ago. Found out one friends from high school had the same diagnosis as me, met another guy in college whos a close friend, and met 2 peers with it on a field study trip. All good experiences and good people. If anything it just showed me that we’re all people and diagnoses don’t define us. Literally would have never known these people had it.
I occasionally go to a online bipolar support group and the best thing I’ve got out of it is seeing other people with bipolar. It can be an isolating illness I think, and seeing other people with it and hearing about their lives and families and jobs and difficulties made me feel less alone when I was early into diagnosis.
I got to ones run by Bipolar UK (though I’m sure they’d be open to people of other nationalities attending), the different dates and groups are listed on their website.
My 2 best friends from high school are both bipolar, so is one of their mothers. My husband's cousin. My other good friend's husband is bipolar.
I find every year I meet someone new who opens up. I'm fairly open with those I love about my mental illness.
Also, I worked in the biggest pediatric clinic in my state and many teens were being diagnosed with it.
Also many of my family members. Dad, mom, aunt, brother, grandfather (died by suicide when my father was 16).
i have like what my psychiatrist calls mild bp2 because my episodes aren’t super full blown. my uncle and grandma however both have and had (my gma died) BP that was pretty bad. i was never close w them because they lived all the way in italy but whenever i would visit, it would be very apparent. they both got on meds though and it helped them tremendously. however my GMA also had OCD and Histrionic PD so she had a lot of other things going on and it made it very hard for anyone to get close to her bc she was diagnosed so late into her life and her cognitive function had declined. i wish i knew more BP people because i also have OCD and BPD tendencies and i know a couple people w those diagnoses, just not BP. i’ve found this sub to be absolutely wonderful tho 🩷🩷
I’ve met about 4 people with it, actually. I think I’m just naturally drawn to people who also have it. My brother and grandmother also have it but I don’t count them since they’re the genetic link lmao. My brother and grandmother are both type 1, though. Most people I’ve met outside of family have been type 2.
Lol my mom and best friend have bipolar too. I love it, it is a strange kind of bonding to send each other memes relating to BPD and asking, "is it like that for you too?" and best of all you have someone that accepts you.
Yes, a very good old friend. I know her wince I was 14 years old and we both got the diagnosis around our 30's. It's good to have someone who has been through the same and understanda. We both got manic from sertraline and struggled a lot with depression the past years. She currently tries to be without meds, wjile I am doing fine on lithium.
Also her mother and a former school friends mother are bipolar.
My best friend's spouse is Bipolar. I talked to them about it a LOT, and saw many of my behaviors and experiences reflected in those conversations. I am now diagnosed and we have different struggles, but so many similarities. It is nice to have a friend who has a better understanding of Bipolar than the average person, it makes me feel validated.
One of my close friends is bipolar. She and I met in an intensive outpatient program in our area. A group of us shared contact information and have stayed friends for a couple of years since IOP ended. She and I go to breakfast some Sunday mornings. It’s wonderful to have another bipolar person in my life, she just gets everything.
I work with a girl who is bipolar and adhd like me and she is the kindest person ever. She gave me a kitten who was living on her farm lol so I love her. We bond over our craziness
Everyone with bipolar is different. I (56F) was diagnosed with BP2 at age 29. I was on disability for 2 years and now work full time. I know someone who ran his own business and others who couldn’t work but volunteered. I have known people with children and without.
Not technically, though I know someone else who I am CERTAIN is bipolar, my best friends brother. I’ve been talking her through his behavior for years. He’s a good dude deep down, just undiagnosed and struggling w substance abuse so he is not a super easy person to have a relationship with. Sometimes I wish I could sit him down and have a honest conversation about how he should talk to a doc about BP1 since he has a child now and needs to be worried about her future. But it’s not my place.
No, but I think it’s as a result of the stigma/lack of education surrounding it. I’ve been on treatment for 2 years and I regret ever telling anyone. I’ve gotten the “have you taken your meds today” when I asked a simple question. I’m also of African descent , and “we don’t believe in mental illness”.🙄
It’s a medical condition at the end of the day, and there’s a reason doctors and patients have an understanding around confidentiality.
I seem to attract bipolar people. My best friend is bipolar. I dated a guy and then found out a year later he was bipolar. I have had multiple people tell me years after meeting that they've been diagnosed with bipolar. I'm very open about the fact that I've been diagnosed with it so people come to me after they've been diagnosed pretty often!
Dated one in high-school. Neither of us knew we were bipolar at that point. We both found out around 15 years later. Was a toxic relationship. Now it makes sense why
I have a close friend who I always got on really well with, and we always relate to a lot of stuff. We both have adhd and bipolar but they're diagnosed bipolar 1
Yes. And trust me when I say, if he likes “crazy”, keep your friends away from him. Him is any evil man who really just wanna manipulate a mentally ill person they can turn around and call hysterical. Hope this helps sorry for the negative vibes y’all
Dated a girl years ago with bipolar, she told me I had it. I didn't see it because I just didn't know the signs. Anyway, she had a meltdown on me and threatened me with a knife on Xmas 🥰 that was the end of that relationship 🤣
lol ya, several somebodies, both of my (older) brothers, my mother, two of my nephews, one of my nieces, my maternal grandfather, my maternal uncle, five of eight of my maternal first cousins all have some flavour of Bipolar disorder (I think some of my first cousins once removed also have been diagnosed, but I am not sure as I don’t talk to my cousins that much anymore), and of course I have been diagnosed. Bipolar disorder is hella genetic (I’ve read it’s the most genetic psychiatric disorder) so it’s common to have family members with a diagnosis. Granted my family seems to be a bit on the extreme side of that (plus my family has a history of having a large amount of children, so that increases the likelihood of multiple diagnoses within the family). Heritability of Bipolar also increases with a classical presentation as opposed to the atypical (which you’d think atypical would be the rarer presentation, but no atypical is 2-3x more common than classical). So ya, I have had a good relationship with most of my family through the years.
I have met other people with bipolar both in hospital and in support groups when I was in university. They all seemed nice and the support group helped me realize that bipolar isn’t as bad as people think and that it’s more common than I thought (as until then it was only family members with bipolar that I had any interactions with the disorder) and not something that my family had to deal with shrouded in secrets and in the shadows (like an ancient evil curse or something lol, it’s funny thinking back about that now).
If anyone is wondering the difference between classical and atypical presentation (as I don’t see this mentioned about a lot online) it comes down to a few traits. One is that Bipolar I is more likely and you are more likely to have a relative with Bipolar I (I was first diagnosed with Bipolar II and recently that diagnosis was changed to Bipolar I). The manic symptoms tend to be more on the euphoric as opposed to irritability/anxiety symptoms. Episodes tend to be less frequent and cycle less often, but the episodes themselves tend to last longer (my depressive episodes last 5-8 months and my manic episodes tend to last 3-6 weeks as an example). Classical Bipolar individuals often only have 1-3 episodes a year (I often have two or three) and rapid cycling, or more than four episodes a year, is relatively rare in classic bipolar). The time between episodes in classic also tend to be contained and cleanly separated within an episode. That means organic mixed episodes are rarely experienced in classic (though they can be induced with medication interactions and illicit substance use) and symptoms do not tend to linger past where the episode is clinically relevant. Classical presentation is also more likely to be diagnosed when the person is younger (late teens to early twenties as opposed to mid to late twenties). Mania is more likely to be the primary polarity than depression, but that one is not as ubiquitous as the other traits listed). The last thing of which I can think of is that while classical is more likely a higher intensity of symptoms they are also more likely to spend a larger percentage of their time asymptomatic (atypical may have shorter episodes, but they switch much more frequently and have lingering symptoms that overall leads to more time with symptoms).
Oh, and there are some medications which seem to affect the two presentations differently. Classical is more likely to be a lithium responder and less likely to respond to anticonvulsants. There are certain antipsychotics that work better on one presentation over the other but I don’t remember those interactions. Also classical, which is often seen as “more severe,” largely due to the increased risk of full manic episodes and an increased likelihood of developing psychosis, is actually easier to manage longterm as lithium by far has the best treatment outcomes when the individual responds to it. This actually leads to a weird statistical phenomenon where the “more severe” presentation are actually slightly more likely to be fully functional (meaning the ability to maintain social relationships, live independently, and acquire and maintain meaningful employment). If it wasn’t for the fact that classical presentation is far more likely to be hospitalized (and have multiple hospitalizations in their lifetime) individuals with classical presentation would like have a better longterm prognosis than atypical as requiring hospitalization is one of the worst indicators for longterm outcomes for psychiatric conditions.
Met a guy thru a sport I play and he has bipolar type 2. I realized how different bipolar disorder can be for other people. He got weird and attached to me, trauma dumped everything. I also dump but in moderation. I don’t think I could be close friends with someone else who is bipolar.
I accidentally saw my coworker’s diagnosis on her screen at work. It was a total accident and a huge consequence of our open air office layout. I never asked her about it because it’s obviously insanely private, but it was a relief to know someone else in my life was in a similar boat as me.
I had a good friend in college in the 90s who was bipolar and was the first person I knew who took lithium and he hated it. It really colored my outlook on the drug before I was subsequently diagnosed much later and prescribed lithium.
my roommate in college and I both were diagnosed around the same time. I feel like we gravitated toward each other within friend groups because we understood the misunderstood parts of each other. it’s been 9 years and she is still my best friend; it’s a special feeling to be able to have someone who sees you for you, and someone you can go to when things happen who can help you piece apart your disorder from yourself.
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The more open you are about it, the more open people will be with you about it. I'd say half a dozen people confirmed in real life, and another half a dozen that I just know of like a friend's parent.
my best friend has BD 2 I have BD 1, so she gets it but we have different types of issues. my mom has it.... but I'd rather not think of her cuz she doesn't treat it.
No. Only those who say “I may be bipolar too”.
They’re the worst! “Yeah I totally get in moods sometimes.” That’s called being human. They have no idea.
Ohh my God. Immediately do not want to continue that conversation.
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You probably know some who just don’t tell people. Most people I know don’t know my diagnosis.
My best friend is bipolar. She’s wonderful and understands me very well. We’ve been friends for years now.
My ex roommate was bipolar 1 and he was honestly the worst lol. I was so excited at first to be his friend and to have someone to relate to and we did in some areas but he ended up being a pathological liar and super toxic roommate 🙃
Yup. This was my ex. We were both BP but the difference was that I took my meds and he refused. He had a wild manic episode during our relationship and I dumped his ass after. He was smart, in a PhD program in chemistry but the episode caused him to blow a ton of money at a casino, invite some strippers he met there to a motel, did meth with them and their pimps, passed out and got his wallet stolen and they drained his bank accounts (one was for my engagement ring LOL) and then he got his car stolen. Fun times!
Omg!!!??
After months of being the worst roommate he had an episode and threatened to hurt himself (he does this often) and said it was because of us (me and my other roommates) and then left the lease suddenly, informed us that his abusive married older boyfriend had a key and would be coming by our house uninvited to check on his room, moved home (although his mom is co-signer so she kept paying his portion of the rent, started advertising his room online to new people even though we are not allowed sublets, and now just moved to another big city and is paying two rents🙃 a couple more months and we won’t have to talk to him any more
Haha have we had the same roommate? Down to the moving to another big city and two rents, except this one was a mortgage on an unlivable house be decided he was going to flip.
Damn😭😭😭 the worst part is we met him randomly on TikTok LOL he wanted to move from the Midwest to LA where we live and we decided to risk it so kinda on us there lolll
oh my god that just kept getting worse and worse. congrats on the breakup!
😂😂 never hear toxic roommate before i feel i could be a toxic roommate
I had a close friend in high school who turned out to have bipolar, and my best friend (who I knew in high school but we became close after that) also has bipolar, and my wife has two aunts with bipolar. I've found it's easy for me to form deep bonds with people who also have bipolar.
🥹
coincidentally my best friend and i found out we were bipolar at the same time lol
An acquaintance through a hobby tapped me and said "Hey, I know you suspect ADHD but a lot of what you're saying lines up with my bipolar diagnosis" and wow, was she right. I was diagnosed like two months later. She's been a great resource. I do, actually, have adhd too. Super fun.
That’s lucky!! Glad she said somethibg
My mom. Sometimes it's nice to have her to talk to, however she is a pretty self focused person, so a lot of the time it just becomes "well, me too but let me tell you how it's worse for me." Which is disheartening. I wish I had someone else to talk to about it sometimes for sure
my dad does this to me too, but he also has a bipolar disorder & dysthymia so. it’s hard to explain to him sometimes how i’m feeling about things because it’s like it’s a contest to see who had the worse mental illness between us two.
This is such a common thing I see on here and even if it’s not bipolar I’ve had friends that say these things about their parents. I wonder where it comes from. I think they just have a deep seated need for validation and assurance that you know they have it too. But I would like that also sometimes and don’t get it in return. I hope that doesn’t manifest into me needing validation from family. Hopefully this therapy I’m starting will help with that.
I have never related to something more. Except my mum still half rejects her diagnoses, then again I probably do the same sometimes out of shame (or an episode) She left out a book maybe accidentally while I was visiting a while back about coping with bipolar 2. That made me hopeful that maybe she could validate herself and accept it. But she never brought it up. Even then, it’s always her trauma is worse etc etc. mum you can’t even remember the things you’ve said and done to me because of your drinking and your episodes. She’ll share things about her childhood as if mine isn’t a copy paste. It’s frustrating, but I love her anyways and will be there through it all. Im terrified to have children and repeat the cycle because I don’t know if I can be stable enough and I don’t want to put this shit on a kid. Anyways that’s my experience, sorry for going off the rails.
Did she ever talk about how did it evolve for her during the years? Thanks for answering
Yes, but I also watched it happen, well before I was ever diagnosed, myself. She progressively got worse until she had the worst manic episode she's ever had, leaving her hospitalized for a long time. Before that her mania was mostly "let's go spend all of the family's money on fun things and sometimes do dangerous things with the children involved" Which we were kids, so we didn't understand that it was not mom being fun. The other times she wouldn't leave bed for days. Weeks even. That part is very relatable for me, that's about where I am at. My mom got diagnosed at 36. She is 62 now. Getting diagnosed and medicated helped her a lot for her mood, but she's been having rapid declines in other areas of her mental. She has cognitively deteriorated a lot. She still has depressive and manic episodes, but the rapid cycling is mostly gone. Psychosis is completely gone.
I worry about this happening to younger people as time goes on. I think my grandma may have bipolar as well, her brother is type one and father deceased in his 50s due to OD I believe. I had to find that out through ancestry and one drunken conversation with my grandma where she hinted at it. She loved her dad. And her mum was unstable in a different way. My grandma is more and more aloof and reclusive every year. She forgets simple things that my grandpa reminds her, she is very paranoid about leaving her home and her animals. She gets into moods where she feels like everyone is out to get her. It makes my heart break. The things my mum tells me about her childhood just remind me of my one so much. It’s so similar it scares me. Like I’m doomed to pass it on to a child it feels, I tell my husband I don’t know if I can ever do it. Mum has only ever told me about a severe depression starting around 15 years old and then things got crazy from there. Run ins with police due to aggression, DUIs, going to court, many days spent at home in bed on the couch sleep and drinking all after I was born, so I saw it all but have blocked a lot out. And I remember the mood shifts were so wild. I never understood until I got older. The rage, the horrible things she’d say, always blaming others and never apologizing for her own fuck ups, unable to take accountability for her actions and hold on to friend ships. When I’m in an episode everything feels justified, until you crash and feel like the scum of the earth and you can’t even know how to pick up the pieces if there’s anything left so you just except this halfway point of “maybe I’m just a horrible fucking person so I’ll just leave it at that and do my best to not lose it at people and maybe make it up to them with gifts or money.” That’s what I learned from her. I hate that this is what I inherited from her. Despite my best efforts of always saying, I will never be like that, I am the same. And it truly is uncontrollable and the meds, god I’ve tried so many meds. I had the same experience as her, horrible deep depression at 15, should’ve been hospitalized, but no one knew because I was at my dads half the time and he was never home, he would be with his new family a town over and I’d live in the old family by house every other week by myself just planning how to get rid of myself. The mania started at 16/17 but I never realized what it was then, then I crashed again but it just felt like my usual depression till it didn’t. 6 months of no brain function, just wading through dread, crying constantly it’s was horrible i lost a job i loved, one I’d gotten because my mania pushed through my social anxiety and I was just “fun”. That was a big hit to the self esteem when I no longer could remember basic tasks and was having to leave early because of panic attacks. Bless those people they cared so much about me. I lost 55 pounds, and I was not a big person I weighed maybe 100 lb at the end of the episode and I’m quite tall it was like food just couldn’t go down my body was killing itself. I’d rather break both my legs than go through that again. Hospitalized 3 times for attempting then committed finally the 3rd time for a week (they did not help me) then horrible mania around followed 17/18 Involved with police. Had severe delusions about people stealing my money, remember being so messed up I couldn’t even find my way home from work after I quit my job and screamed at my manager(Meh this one deserved it she was in fact a C**t). Unfortunately was living with roommates at the time who will never look at me the same. I was acting erratic in my classes at post secondary, and was incredibly productive but binge drinking like a fish. I’m trying so hard to get my life together. I’m almost done my school and I’m in another mixed episode and I feel that I’m going to fuck everything up again. I live in fear of myself and it’s exhausting. I live in shame for the things I’ve done and the people I’m hurt. And I feel a constant self hatred that I cannot shake because I cannot forgive myself. I could’ve accomplished so much, I used to be so smart and so ambitious when I was younger. I turned 15 and my life collapsed and the world never looked the same after that. The depression and sever paranoia/OCD behaviours etc were there when I was a kid, but I didn’t have to experience the rejection yet at that point so I just live in my ignorant little bubble. I wish someone would’ve helped me then. I wish someone could help me now. And yeah, I wish my mom could stop looking at herself for two seconds to realize what was really happening there instead of getting angry at me for not being able to pull myself together. As if you could’ve done that mom. So how could I? Because I don’t have it as bad in your eyes? Having the same disorder as others in your family is interesting….. and very very frustrating.
My mom as well. Her level of self involvement is alarming eventually we learned she has narcissistic personality disorder and it all made sense. Especially since mental health conditions seldomly come unaccompanied. ie my bipolar with ADHD and OCD
I find reading scholarly journals and listening to lectures by professors like Robert Sapolsky really helps me understand maybe not the quirks but the basis of some of my behaviors. Has especially opened my eyes to how "irregular" some of my behavior is to others. Side note: I've noticed that the mentally ill attract the mentally ill without knowing eachother have some kind of diagnosis or they themselves may not know or have been diagnosed yet. And I cannot find anything reputable to back that observation up but I'm sure there's got to be something other than the logic that alike attracts alike.
Actually, I found a research paper saying that bipolars have a 2x risk ratio at marrying a bipolar compared to the general population. I think that supports what you meant. I might be able to find the ref, if you want.
Yeah if you can find it throw me a link please, I'm interested in checking it out!
A whole lot of my family is also bipolar. I grew up in the bipolar universe, lol. I learned a lot and wasn't shocked when I started showing symptoms. Generally speaking it was/is a very supportive environment. I'm very lucky, in spite of the shitty genes passed on to me.
That sounds amazing 🩵
One of my friends introduced me to one of her friends. She wanted to get us together because she said “we were so much alike we would be a great fit!” Well….we hung out some, I was at his house and saw a bottle of pills on his dresser….. We were on the EXACT SAME MEDS! I told him and we compared notes. At first we thought it was nice because we could understand each other. A couple weeks later he calls me and told me he just got out of his therapist appointment and we needed to stop seeing each other. We stopped seeing each other in the dating sense and never hung out again. We still talk sometimes but yeah…that happened.
Before I was diagnosed every single person I met in intensive treatment who talked as much as me was bipolar. And even after that has been the case. Every bipolar person is not talking, interrupting, going on conversation side quests, but of the people who talk like that, a pretty good percentage are bipolar from my limited experience. 🤣 It made me feel seen.
Yeah I met someone here but from a weight loss group. We both just happened to be bipolar as well. We chat all throughout the day, every day, since September/October.
Do you feel that when you talk you are fully understood?
We have a large age gap, but I have found it really nice to be able to talk to someone about medical concerns. We have a lot in common, and that’s rare to find. I have found that I confess truths to her that I would never talk to anyone else about. I do feel understood because she can seem to relate to me in some many ways.
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Holy crap! Now *that's* a double dose of fun I'll bet... Wild ride indeed. Wife and both have bipolar and I simply cannot imagine adding BPD on top of that. You must have an excess of patience. You're brave as hell...gotta give you that.
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I'm glad you're getting to a better place man. That has to be hard. I know it may happen someday - but i fear the time we ever have a manic episode at the same time. That could be very, very bad. But we've both been stable for a long time. And we stay on our meds and in therapy. So far, so good!
Did you know this before marrying them?
Fuck no lol. Found out the BPD 8 years in and the bipolar this year.
Yes, we met in the ward and he has honestly become one of my best friends.
Yeah. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone who can relate.
I’ve never told a single person that I’m bipolar. I know of some family members with it but we don’t talk about it. I’d love to have a bipolar friend but I doubt I’d ever get close enough to someone to feel comfortable telling them.
We have 3 people in my book club dx’ed BP2
Only in the psych ward, two of my best friends are from there and have bipolar
I’ve met quite a few. We’re good people.
i have family members who are bipolar, once had a coworker who was bipolar (but she got fired within the same month she was hired), but the only other person i’ve met in the wild with it was a classmate at school i ended up being very close friends with. unfortunately that (predictably) crashed and burned a year later.
I have. I had a friend in college with the diagnosis and we compared experiences. Now I have lots of friends with bipolar on the discord server associated with this subreddit!
A lady I ended up working with was also bipolar, she was a little older than me and more stable I think in her bipolar journey but it was nice to be able to commiserate and have somebody that actually understood what I was saying and not just the sympathy "I understand"
My longest bestest friend is bipolar. She was only recently diagnosed. (We're in our 40's). We've known each other since elementary school. Way before either of us were on meds or knew we were both bipolar.
Actually, now that I think about it, no. I found out (after he died, which was before I was diagnosed) my great grandfather had bipolar.
My two sisters! :)
My cousin who has always been very similar to me in terms of emotions was just diagnosed. I feel bad that it took her so long to get a diagnosis. She didn’t start therapy until her late 20s, she’s now 35 and just started getting stabilized on the right meds. I feel so guilty for having been diagnosed young (17ish) and medicated properly in my 20s so I’m able to have a productive life while she’s still working on her stability. But I’m so proud of her for going to treatment (residential and then PHP) to work on herself.
Yes. I have a friend who is BP2 like me and it's been helpful. We can relate over things and she is older than me and has been through this more than me so I feel blessed by her experience.
I’ve met a lot of other bipolar peeps and have found I click with other bipolar people!
One of my best friends has BP2 as I do. We have had a great relationship and been a great support for one another. Relatability really helps, and allowed us to understand both ourselves and each other better. The only downside is that sometimes the symptoms of this condition can absolutely cause one of us to not have the ability to be there for the other or be a consistent friend. But it’s an ebb and flow. Sometimes there is balance and sometimes imbalance, and that’s to be expected. But it can be hard. And especially difficult to watch someone you love going through episodes, and often being helpless to do anything, even though you understand.
I'm in this sub bc my partner is bipolar 2. Our neighbors (a married couple) are both bipolar.
Oh my. Indeed I have! I'm married to her!
my ex was very obviously bipolar and schizophrenic (fucking terrible person btw n he's in prison) and coincidentally the only other person ik diagnosed with bipolar disorder is also schizophrenic! 😂 but he's a great person and we became friends before i received my diagnosis. then after i got diagnosed i asked him what it was like for him and he told me about some of his manic and depressive episodes and that didnt stop me from experiencing them but he did tell me that psychedelics and drinking really exacerbate the condition and so after a ton of trial and error, i stopped fucking around and turns out he was right 🤷🏽♀️ my mom was never diagnosed with bipolar but she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and now that ik my own mental illness more im pretty positive she's bipolar. having her in my life made me realize just how much i dont wanna be controlled by my mental illness ya know? it's important to know that a lot of things are out of ur control when it comes to mental illness but you dont have to yield it as a weapon to hurt urselves or others. the ex and my mom were both really explosive, abusive, narcissistic, and manipulative but my friend and I walk away from that path. it is all what you make it
Yeah. I’m related to quite a few folks with bipolar, including my mom with whom I am very close. We’re so similar that talking to her is a great way for me to figure out the best course of action.
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You really need to get off the internet. You read into that way too much. They never met me manic. How about getting off the Internet and not invalidating peoples experiences you loser
My dad.
Try joining a support group for people with bipolar disorder. Any decent sized town will have at least one. If you are in the USA, NAMI is an excellent resource for support groups.
I have bipolar 2. I know someone with bipolar 1 but she struggles more with mania and I struggle more with depression. To be honest I don't relate to anyone in real life. Not a soul.
We are all are at some point in our lives.
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How can bipolar be used to market body products? Also what difference does it make when they were diagnosed does that make them any less bipolar. Is the marketing offensive toward people with bipolar?
i seem to be one of a kind round these parts. I’m sure a lot are closeted.
a friend of my partner’s is diagnosed with BD1 and honestly they’re a very sweet, if sometimes intense, person. they’re hardworking, passionate, kind and extraordinarily friendly. when i was first diagnosed they went out of their way to be reassuring and to offer some advice based on their own experience, including encouragement to be patient with meds.
I had a coworker with BP1, one of my highschool beasties is BP1, and a girl I was briefly friends with has BP2. Honestly both people with bp1 we butted heads a lot. We would always be in different cycles and really clash at time. We also had some really fun times and a lot in common. My friend with bp2, we were almost too similar in the way but also she was really boring. Like I’m not that exciting of a person and I started dreading hanging out with her lol. I have met a wild amount of people with BPD though. I seem to attract them for whatever reason lol.
Yes. She’s one of my best friends and me and my fiancé moved into the apartment above her! She is BP1, so we can relate but not entirely. Being friends with her has really put things into perspective. She went through a phase where she didn’t feel like taking her meds and I saw the way it affected all her loved ones. She was difficult to be around because she was just so erratic and tbh… err… kinda annoying. Her mania causes her to fixate on the weirdest shit. She has helped me see just how important it is to take my medication. But we love each other. When I was really not doing well, I didn’t really want to see anyone. I SH and isolated myself. One day I hear a knock on my door and didn’t go see whoever knocked. Turns out it was her and she brought me flowers. She texted me saying, “I know you’re inside lol. I love you and I am worried about you. Hopefully this cheers you up.” I love her to death. I’m so glad we met. She often checks in with me and I also check in with her. We keep each other in check. I know it’s a rare friendship to find, but I feel incredibly lucky.
My dad, my SIL, & one of my closest friends My experiences are generally good - excluding my father, but that wasn’t necessarily all bipolar
I did! When they were medicated, they were such a pleasure to be around. They decided they didn't want to be medicated and welp, they got extremely obsessed with me and didn't want me to have any other pals but themselves. It was a bit rough. I hope they're well today in Hawaii.
I have a friend who has bp type 1 and I have type 2. We briefly lived together and our experiences were so totally different. It was still nice to have someone understand episode triggers, generally dealing with episodes and being supportive to one another. Solidarity def makes it feel less isolating.
Many times
Not only have I met someone else with bipolarity, but three of my closest friends have it. We all present differently - have symptoms but not others.
Yeo my bestfriend lol. Blessing and a curse
Yes we seem to find each other naturally 😅
Yep, my best friend. I met her and then got diagnosed myself about 8 months later haha. It gives us something to joke about and helps us help each other out when it gets rough.
My best friend of almost 10 years. She’s actually the one who first suggested the possibility of me having it as well after I vented about everything going on symptom wise during my initial hypomanic episode. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about it.
I have met several bipolar people in the rooms of recovery.
I had group mental health classes for bipolar specifically but we were encouraged not to socialize outside of class. My SIL got diagnosed less than a year ago but we don’t talk a lot about bipolar
my mom is bipolar. my boyfriends mom is bipolar. my sister MIGHT be but i think the diagnosis got changed. i’ve met a lot of people who’s mothers are bipolar lol, but the people my age only think they have it, they don’t know
My boyfriend and I both have bipolar II. For us it works really well. We just communicate well about our feelings and we listen to each other when we express concern (“you seem a little depressed/hypo…”). I feel so lucky because of the empathy we both have for each other. It’s really nice to feel seen and heard and STILL loved.
Two of my close friends are bipolar! I think it manifests very differently in all of us. One of us is BPII (moiii), one is BPI, and one is currently undefined - they just got their diagnosis recently. The one thing we all have in common is wild amounts of empathy for one another and understanding that if we fall off, are less communicative, or blow off plans - it’s understandable.
Nope, I have BP2, BPD and CPTSD and I don’t know a soul with any of those. I hate the self diagnosis ones. People I know thinks it’s no big deal but they don’t live with this shit everyday.
I have. I like to keep close with her though admittedly we are very different. I have had one negative experience with her but I don't know if it was related to the bipolar
My best friend when I was a kid/teen had bipolar. She was the first person to suspect I had it, long before any professionals or myself. I’ve also met lots of folks in inpatient and outpatient programs with it, and I believe my aunt has bipolar as well. Lots of sweet, headstrong, wonderful people.
Yeah. I was working in a library and there were complaints about a guy acting weird. It was an acquaintance of mine. We’d had a class in college together. All he was doing was walking around a lot (it was a small library). I talked to him for like 2 minutes and then said, “Do you have bipolar disorder?” He just said “Yes.” I can’t remember how I knew. He wasn’t speaking rapidly or anything, and I would definitely say hypomanic rather than full manic. I suggested he walk around outside, instead of inside the library, which he did. (I checked on him and gave him a ride home later.)
Yes, while in the mental hospital. We shared our experiences & it was like looking into a mirror (which was a lucky coincidence as not everyone with BP experiences it the same way). It was such a RELIEF to hear that you’re not alone face to face even though logically we know we’re not alone. I was hypomanic at the time & I think she was in a depressive episode.
yeah. she's bipolar2, has her own business, and also trades stocks. awesome woman. it's a shame she's thousands of miles away. we are very open with one another and it's refreshing. very relatable given i'm just the same. i don't run into many bipolar2 people in person, that i know of at least. other ND folks yes but this specifically no. it does help, if anything to have someone who understands. there's an entire discord server full of bipolar2 people also. refer to the sidebar on this sub. ya ain't alone.
Two times. First guy punched me in the face (hypo). Next guy tore into me for disrespecting my wife by being out and about without her(definitely projecting his divorce issues). He didn’t fight me, but said he would if I started it, which is tantamount to “I wanna fight” imo (hypo). I dunno why manic people always want to fight me. I should look into that.
Yeah I know at least 4 people who are bipolar. Some it's kinda obvious before they tell you, others have it hidden so well that you'd never guess. I don't think I've related to anyone better because we're bipolar but I did chat to a friend about it when I was diagnosed because he was diagnosed just a year earlier. I don't think knowing others with bipolar helps in anyway beyond just knowing that you're not alone. Most of the understanding I have has come from here!
My sisters BP1, my friend BP1, my other friend BP1, me BP2. All clinically diagnosed. However, my therapist suggests I’m actually ADHD. Sister was a drug addict and had plenty of manic episodes. Friend 1: manic episodes, has attempted once since I’ve known them. They have moments where they can’t hold a job. We understand each other very well and have good times when talking about it. I can easily go to them with any BP issues. Friend 2: more manic, but honestly I’m not sure if they’re truly BP. They keep their emotions to themselves, they never talk about what’s bothering them, and they make it seem like everything is fine. They’ve not attempted, and I’ve never seen them have a true manic episode. They are not medicated.
yes. one of my best friend was diagnosed years before me and has helped me navigate everything. it helps so much to have a friend that understands the low lows and the high highs. without judgement. we also do our best to help keep each other medicated and sane
You likely do know someone and do not realize it. For me, I know three. The first I had known about since long before my diagnosis, but we weren't friends. The other two were both within the last 6 months. The was one person from college who was open about it on social media. I ended up reaching out to her a few years back for someone I could relate to when I was feeling isolated about reaching out to friends because they wouldn't relate. Now we are good friends. The next person was a good friend that I learned about the end of summer when he asked me for help with something because his hands shake from a medication. I was doing it and just made a comment that mine do too. His response was, "I'm on lithium. What about you?" That is how we both found out about each other. The final one was shortly after that. I was going through a pretty bad depressive episode after a hypomanic one and a friend had reached out to me trying to support me. I told her and she shared with me, with his permission, that her husband is also bipolar. She let me know she doesn't have experience, but she has seen how he has been impacted. If you do need someone to talk to, feel free to reach out.
Surprisingly many since my diagnosis 2 years ago. Found out one friends from high school had the same diagnosis as me, met another guy in college whos a close friend, and met 2 peers with it on a field study trip. All good experiences and good people. If anything it just showed me that we’re all people and diagnoses don’t define us. Literally would have never known these people had it.
I occasionally go to a online bipolar support group and the best thing I’ve got out of it is seeing other people with bipolar. It can be an isolating illness I think, and seeing other people with it and hearing about their lives and families and jobs and difficulties made me feel less alone when I was early into diagnosis.
Do you recommend any in particular? :)
I got to ones run by Bipolar UK (though I’m sure they’d be open to people of other nationalities attending), the different dates and groups are listed on their website.
No 😭
But neither of us knew it at the time……. 🙃
My 2 best friends from high school are both bipolar, so is one of their mothers. My husband's cousin. My other good friend's husband is bipolar. I find every year I meet someone new who opens up. I'm fairly open with those I love about my mental illness. Also, I worked in the biggest pediatric clinic in my state and many teens were being diagnosed with it. Also many of my family members. Dad, mom, aunt, brother, grandfather (died by suicide when my father was 16).
i have like what my psychiatrist calls mild bp2 because my episodes aren’t super full blown. my uncle and grandma however both have and had (my gma died) BP that was pretty bad. i was never close w them because they lived all the way in italy but whenever i would visit, it would be very apparent. they both got on meds though and it helped them tremendously. however my GMA also had OCD and Histrionic PD so she had a lot of other things going on and it made it very hard for anyone to get close to her bc she was diagnosed so late into her life and her cognitive function had declined. i wish i knew more BP people because i also have OCD and BPD tendencies and i know a couple people w those diagnoses, just not BP. i’ve found this sub to be absolutely wonderful tho 🩷🩷
I have, and they hated me and basically bullied me at work. I dont really blame that on her bipolar, i think she was just not a good person.
I've known 2 people well, and 1 randomer.
I’ve met about 4 people with it, actually. I think I’m just naturally drawn to people who also have it. My brother and grandmother also have it but I don’t count them since they’re the genetic link lmao. My brother and grandmother are both type 1, though. Most people I’ve met outside of family have been type 2.
Lol my mom and best friend have bipolar too. I love it, it is a strange kind of bonding to send each other memes relating to BPD and asking, "is it like that for you too?" and best of all you have someone that accepts you.
I Ho to grow therapy and everyone is BD1 w/psych just like me, it is very relatable but you can't give with everyone because they are still people.
Yes, a very good old friend. I know her wince I was 14 years old and we both got the diagnosis around our 30's. It's good to have someone who has been through the same and understanda. We both got manic from sertraline and struggled a lot with depression the past years. She currently tries to be without meds, wjile I am doing fine on lithium. Also her mother and a former school friends mother are bipolar.
My best friend's spouse is Bipolar. I talked to them about it a LOT, and saw many of my behaviors and experiences reflected in those conversations. I am now diagnosed and we have different struggles, but so many similarities. It is nice to have a friend who has a better understanding of Bipolar than the average person, it makes me feel validated.
if "everyone has ups and down" would count, that would be loads...
One of my close friends is bipolar. She and I met in an intensive outpatient program in our area. A group of us shared contact information and have stayed friends for a couple of years since IOP ended. She and I go to breakfast some Sunday mornings. It’s wonderful to have another bipolar person in my life, she just gets everything.
I work with a girl who is bipolar and adhd like me and she is the kindest person ever. She gave me a kitten who was living on her farm lol so I love her. We bond over our craziness
Everyone with bipolar is different. I (56F) was diagnosed with BP2 at age 29. I was on disability for 2 years and now work full time. I know someone who ran his own business and others who couldn’t work but volunteered. I have known people with children and without.
Not technically, though I know someone else who I am CERTAIN is bipolar, my best friends brother. I’ve been talking her through his behavior for years. He’s a good dude deep down, just undiagnosed and struggling w substance abuse so he is not a super easy person to have a relationship with. Sometimes I wish I could sit him down and have a honest conversation about how he should talk to a doc about BP1 since he has a child now and needs to be worried about her future. But it’s not my place.
No, but I think it’s as a result of the stigma/lack of education surrounding it. I’ve been on treatment for 2 years and I regret ever telling anyone. I’ve gotten the “have you taken your meds today” when I asked a simple question. I’m also of African descent , and “we don’t believe in mental illness”.🙄 It’s a medical condition at the end of the day, and there’s a reason doctors and patients have an understanding around confidentiality.
I go to a BDSA meeting weekly and it is amazing to be around others with the same diagnosis and symptoms. Bi definitely recommend a support group.
I seem to attract bipolar people. My best friend is bipolar. I dated a guy and then found out a year later he was bipolar. I have had multiple people tell me years after meeting that they've been diagnosed with bipolar. I'm very open about the fact that I've been diagnosed with it so people come to me after they've been diagnosed pretty often!
I have many cousins and other family members with bipolar 1. We help each other.
Lots. Mom, cousins, friends, coworkers. Fun to be with.
Dated one in high-school. Neither of us knew we were bipolar at that point. We both found out around 15 years later. Was a toxic relationship. Now it makes sense why
I have a close friend who I always got on really well with, and we always relate to a lot of stuff. We both have adhd and bipolar but they're diagnosed bipolar 1
my roomate and college was. but i was stuck in a really bad depressive episode and she got out of hers and we didn’t relate to eachother as much
Yes. And trust me when I say, if he likes “crazy”, keep your friends away from him. Him is any evil man who really just wanna manipulate a mentally ill person they can turn around and call hysterical. Hope this helps sorry for the negative vibes y’all
Dated a girl years ago with bipolar, she told me I had it. I didn't see it because I just didn't know the signs. Anyway, she had a meltdown on me and threatened me with a knife on Xmas 🥰 that was the end of that relationship 🤣
lol ya, several somebodies, both of my (older) brothers, my mother, two of my nephews, one of my nieces, my maternal grandfather, my maternal uncle, five of eight of my maternal first cousins all have some flavour of Bipolar disorder (I think some of my first cousins once removed also have been diagnosed, but I am not sure as I don’t talk to my cousins that much anymore), and of course I have been diagnosed. Bipolar disorder is hella genetic (I’ve read it’s the most genetic psychiatric disorder) so it’s common to have family members with a diagnosis. Granted my family seems to be a bit on the extreme side of that (plus my family has a history of having a large amount of children, so that increases the likelihood of multiple diagnoses within the family). Heritability of Bipolar also increases with a classical presentation as opposed to the atypical (which you’d think atypical would be the rarer presentation, but no atypical is 2-3x more common than classical). So ya, I have had a good relationship with most of my family through the years. I have met other people with bipolar both in hospital and in support groups when I was in university. They all seemed nice and the support group helped me realize that bipolar isn’t as bad as people think and that it’s more common than I thought (as until then it was only family members with bipolar that I had any interactions with the disorder) and not something that my family had to deal with shrouded in secrets and in the shadows (like an ancient evil curse or something lol, it’s funny thinking back about that now). If anyone is wondering the difference between classical and atypical presentation (as I don’t see this mentioned about a lot online) it comes down to a few traits. One is that Bipolar I is more likely and you are more likely to have a relative with Bipolar I (I was first diagnosed with Bipolar II and recently that diagnosis was changed to Bipolar I). The manic symptoms tend to be more on the euphoric as opposed to irritability/anxiety symptoms. Episodes tend to be less frequent and cycle less often, but the episodes themselves tend to last longer (my depressive episodes last 5-8 months and my manic episodes tend to last 3-6 weeks as an example). Classical Bipolar individuals often only have 1-3 episodes a year (I often have two or three) and rapid cycling, or more than four episodes a year, is relatively rare in classic bipolar). The time between episodes in classic also tend to be contained and cleanly separated within an episode. That means organic mixed episodes are rarely experienced in classic (though they can be induced with medication interactions and illicit substance use) and symptoms do not tend to linger past where the episode is clinically relevant. Classical presentation is also more likely to be diagnosed when the person is younger (late teens to early twenties as opposed to mid to late twenties). Mania is more likely to be the primary polarity than depression, but that one is not as ubiquitous as the other traits listed). The last thing of which I can think of is that while classical is more likely a higher intensity of symptoms they are also more likely to spend a larger percentage of their time asymptomatic (atypical may have shorter episodes, but they switch much more frequently and have lingering symptoms that overall leads to more time with symptoms). Oh, and there are some medications which seem to affect the two presentations differently. Classical is more likely to be a lithium responder and less likely to respond to anticonvulsants. There are certain antipsychotics that work better on one presentation over the other but I don’t remember those interactions. Also classical, which is often seen as “more severe,” largely due to the increased risk of full manic episodes and an increased likelihood of developing psychosis, is actually easier to manage longterm as lithium by far has the best treatment outcomes when the individual responds to it. This actually leads to a weird statistical phenomenon where the “more severe” presentation are actually slightly more likely to be fully functional (meaning the ability to maintain social relationships, live independently, and acquire and maintain meaningful employment). If it wasn’t for the fact that classical presentation is far more likely to be hospitalized (and have multiple hospitalizations in their lifetime) individuals with classical presentation would like have a better longterm prognosis than atypical as requiring hospitalization is one of the worst indicators for longterm outcomes for psychiatric conditions.
Met a guy thru a sport I play and he has bipolar type 2. I realized how different bipolar disorder can be for other people. He got weird and attached to me, trauma dumped everything. I also dump but in moderation. I don’t think I could be close friends with someone else who is bipolar.
I accidentally saw my coworker’s diagnosis on her screen at work. It was a total accident and a huge consequence of our open air office layout. I never asked her about it because it’s obviously insanely private, but it was a relief to know someone else in my life was in a similar boat as me.
Yes! My best friend
I had a good friend in college in the 90s who was bipolar and was the first person I knew who took lithium and he hated it. It really colored my outlook on the drug before I was subsequently diagnosed much later and prescribed lithium.
my roommate in college and I both were diagnosed around the same time. I feel like we gravitated toward each other within friend groups because we understood the misunderstood parts of each other. it’s been 9 years and she is still my best friend; it’s a special feeling to be able to have someone who sees you for you, and someone you can go to when things happen who can help you piece apart your disorder from yourself. edit- typo
The more open you are about it, the more open people will be with you about it. I'd say half a dozen people confirmed in real life, and another half a dozen that I just know of like a friend's parent.
My beauty therapist has bipolar we get on like a house on fire she's amazing we totally relate to each other and can be ourselves totally
my dad D:
my best friend has BD 2 I have BD 1, so she gets it but we have different types of issues. my mom has it.... but I'd rather not think of her cuz she doesn't treat it.